Resistance
by GRACEinabox
Summary: AU. What if Avatar Korra had failed and the Equalist manipulated history to create the world we live in today? Set hundreds of years after Korra, this story follows 17 yr old Lena and her family of water benders in hiding. The story is a lot better than the summary I promise! rated T for language and violence. Please review I really love feedback!
1. Chapter 1: Disappearing

Chapter 1

Lena possessed a vast knowledge of the world, and hated what she knew. Ignorance must be bliss, she thought. After all, the majority of the planet goes about their day peacefully and without incident. God, she envied them so much it hurt.

Her childhood was a secret kept by the members of her family. First they were the Johnsons, then the Smiths, the Clarks, the Jamesons, the Parkers—always generic, never drawing attention. When they came to a new place they entered as the typical family, parents happily married with two girls. In the beginning she mingled with the other children in the neighborhood, but quickly learned it was a pointless endeavor—soon they would be gone like a thief in the night, onward to their next identity.

Lena was five when she first showed the signs, playing in the sprinkler in the backyard with her younger sister Marnie. The sprinkler pattern went awry, spraying everywhere and then nowhere until the hose detached itself completely. The water shifted to ice and then back again. Lena had only a blurred memory of what happened next, some open bags, watching her home get smaller and smaller until it faded into the horizon.

Her father had reared her to always expect the worst, to always keep a strong and stable defense against the rest of the world physically and mentally. "We needed to be strong, agile, discreet, and cunning if we wanted to survive". Lena knew the threat was real. He father had told her the stories countless times. How hundreds of year ago benders and non-benders had lived peacefully; How the Equalist movement initially strived for equal rights but developed into something much darker—thousands of benders massacred. He told his daughters the stories of their ancestors in hiding and warned them of the great danger that was always nipping at their heels. "The Equalists are looking for us girls. Don't be afraid be ready. Be smart". For 17 years they were good at it, but everything has an expiration date.

…

When Lena approached the house from her brief trip to the market she immediately knew something was wrong. Everything was quiet, and her father should have been back by now but she didn't see his car. The front door was unlocked, and it was never unlocked, ever. _Calm down, Lena, go through the motions, stay focused, it could all be some sick test, Marnie is always pulling something. First the kitchen, the pantry, then move onto the living room, check the closet, breathe in, light on your feet, breathe out now_. She repeated her father's protocol in her head. Nothing looked out of place. _On to the hallway.. Oh god.. stay.. Oh god. _The lamp was shattered, the wallpaper marred and torn, blood spatter on the floor. Her hand involuntarily rose to cover her mouth. She bit down to suppress a scream. And then it was blurry—broken pictures and a destroyed vanity, her mothers limp body in the corner on the bedroom, so much blood, Marnie was gone. She remembered kneeling down next to her mother's corpse and trying her best to revive her. The healing techniques she had been taught were useless—there wasn't enough water in the world to bring her mother back. Despite knowing the danger, she couldn't leave. She couldn't even bring herself too stand. She sat quietly, eye closed, begging for this all to have been a terrible nightmare.

"Lena" She heard his voice from behind her.

"Dad I.. Mom.. I don't know where Marnie is" she stuttered. Briefcase still in hand her father came toward her and with one arm pulled her away from her mother and turned to face him

"We don't have much time" He wiped the tears from her face; she hadn't even realized she'd been bawling. He swiftly dashed to the closet and grabbed the bags, the dreaded bags.

"No Dad.. we can't.. what about Mom.. what about Marnie"

"Lena," He replied sternly, "Take the bag. Fill it with necessities; pack as lightly as you can. Meet me back here in 10 minutes"

Lena filled the bag with the basics. She was accustomed to her family's disappearing act but this was different. She grabbed a few outfits, the camera, her mother's favorite photo album, the laptop. On her way out of the room she grabbed Marnie's journal and few other precious items for when she saw her sister again. She would see her sister again; it was easier to think that way.

The drive to the airport was tense. Her father handed her all he could scrounge up at a moments notice for her new identity. Lena Maj, 17. Parents dead in a car crash, only child. Graduated early. Moving in with her Aunt and new legal guardian. The files included identification, faux newspaper articles described the car crash in Utah that killed the Maj family. The crash had been brutal; she shed a practice tear for her faux parents and a real one for her mother. She knew she needed to harness these emotions in order to be convincing. Too feeling or too unfeeling would both stand out respectively—balance was key. Next was the address and phone number of Elaine Gellar along with a photo. She was much younger than Lena's father, but resembled him. She seemed happier, her eyes shining the way his once did, back before the disappearing started. Lena couldn't help but resent Elaine for her happiness.

"I don't need to go stay with this "aunt" Dad. What I need to do is help you find the Marnie. Its my fault I was at the store—"

"Lena enough."

"Dad"

"Lena. I will contact you when I can. I promise this is not forever, memorize" He tapped his finger on the files

She studied her new license and other documents creating the memories of the life of the made up Lena Maj until she could rattle off random bits organically. We pulled up to the terminal.

"Details Lena, keep them straight"

"I know"

"Its not forever" He said, he poker face melting just enough for Lena to see the pain.

"Dad—"

"I promise" and he was gone

…

"It's an emergency!" Liam shouted

"Hmm? What darlin'?

"I said, Its an emergency! Laney, you aren't paying attention!"

"I am, hun, I promise. Now what's the big emergency?"

"There's a fire! We have to be safe!"

"Do what you have to do, Fireman Liam"

"Wait here" Liam said as he scurried off to retrieve his necessary firefighter tools. Her eyes followed the rambunctious little 3 yr old. He was so vibrant, so curious, so free. As quickly as he left her he was back—honestly she didn't know how she kept up with the kid.

"Laney come on!" Liam shouted, "You're sitting in the fire Laney! Don't worry I will protect you!"

He buzzed around the room making fire truck noises, and waking his baby sister Tara from her nap.

"Oh Tara baby, shhhh its not worth all those tears" Lena said as she lifted the baby girl from her swing. Tara was almost 3 months old, born a couple months after Lena had joined the family. When Elaine returned to her job as a physical therapist Lena became Liam and Tara's nanny, not that she minded; "Lena Maj" had opted for early graduation so it wasn't like she needed to spend any time at school. College had once been something Lena was aspiring towards, but for now it was on the back burner. She needed to lay as low as possible.

Elaine was a nonbender whose early marriage the "normal" Todd have given her an out from the hectic and dangerous live that accompanied association with the bending gene. Lena hated that she would be disrupting Elaine's safe life; Elaine was free, she had gotten out only to be thrust back into a life of lies and deceit by her estranged niece. Unfortunately, little Liam had beaten Lena to it—he had been exhibiting the early signs of waterbending and Elaine was having difficulty hiding his outburst in public and explaining messes to Todd whose ignorance to bending was the biggest defense against the Equalist anyone could ask for. If Elaine could keep Todd in the dark about her past and the big genetic problem she had passed on to their children, she assumed the Equalist were probably off the trail— and Elaine was a master of manipulation. Pipes burst? That damn plumber. Bathtub overflow? The baby was crying, I just got distracted I'm sorry hunny! Elaine reflexes were sharp and she was very quick-witted, traits she had undoubtedly learned from Lena's father. Nevertheless she greatly appreciated Lena's ability to counteract Liams tantrums. No one in the neighborhood questioned Elaine's explanation as to why Lena had joined. Why wouldn't she take in her only niece? And what a shame it was about the girl's parents.

There hadn't been a single incident since Lena had arrived, and Elaine was certainly nice enough, yet something kept Lena from getting comfortable in her new home. Her father had always told her that settling and comfort led to laziness. She had witnessed first hand the consequences of laziness, and she wasn't about to let that happen again. Not to the Gellars; she wasn't about to plague them with the pain that had ripped apart her own family.

"Laney! LANEY! I saved you, you're safe now"

"Oh my goodness, thank you Fireman Liam! How can I ever repay you?

Liam thought long and hard about her offer, "Hmmmm.. I think.. a fruit snack"

She laughed, somehow amidst everything Liam could always make her laugh.

"Yeah, okay, a fruit snack it is"


	2. Chapter 2: Orders

Chapter 2

"Lena? Liam? I'm home!" yelled Elaine from the garage. She walked through the door into the kitchen carrying two big bags of groceries.

"MOMMY!" screeched Liam as he bolted to the kitchen with Lena behind him carrying Tara.

"Hi baby! How was your day, did you and Lena have fun? Did you practice your letters?"

"There were fires but I saved her!" He said and he ran off again, this time singing some made up song as he went. The kid was such a ham.

"We got a few pages of that work book in before breakfast but after that it was hopeless" Lena said

"Well, we tried. I can't help that the kid has an active imagination" Lena loved how laid-back Elaine was with her kids.

"How was work?"

"Fine. But can you believe they want me to get a new head shot for the company website. I mean I just had a baby for Christ's sake! I need notice for these things... God I hope something fits"

"LANEY!" Liam called from the next room, "LANEY I NEED YOU COME QUICK!"

"I'll take her, Mommy missed you pretty girl" Elaine said as she lifted Tara up for a kiss.

"LANEY!"

"She's coming hold your horses baby!" Elaine couldn't help but smile every time Liam called Lena "Laney". The last time she heard the nickname her own brother was telling her goodbye. She hadn't seen him since that night, although she got a letter maybe every two years if she was lucky. His distance didn't offend her; she knew why it had to be this way. John had been the only bender in the family and after years 23 years of dragging their parents from city to city he knew it had to end. Shortly after he met Laurel he announced they were leaving together.

"It'll be for the best, I love her. And you all need a break from this madness its no way to live". Elaine was only 7 at the time. She still remembered hugging him one last time. He kissed her forehead.

"I love you Laney Lou. Don't go to crazy on Mom and Dad, okay?"

It was the last memory she had of him in person. In a shoe box on the top shelf of her closet sat all the letters he sent her. One had photos of their wedding, a couple years later he enclosed some pictures of Lena and Marnie. He never told her where they were or what sort of danger they were in, but at least she knew that they was alive. She hadn't received as little as a postcard in three years until Lena showed up at her door wearing a ratty old t-shirt splattered with blood and dirt. Elaine instantly knew the worst had happened.

"I'm sorry, is this the Gellar residence?"

Elaine could only stare at her. Before her stood the little girl with the pigtails in the red jumper on the swing set, the little girl who squeezed her sister both smiling frozen in photographic time. Only she wasn't a little girl, she was a mess. Oh god, what had happened?

"Lena?" She enveloped the girl in a desperate hug pulling her into the house. After some tea and food Lena relayed everything she could remember—coming home, the house destroyed, Marnie missing, Laurel dead; it was horrific. Elaine had insisted the girl change and rest and Lena quickly fell asleep in the guest bedroom. Poor thing was exhausted. When Todd got home she'd explain the situation, how her estranged brother and his wife had died in a car accident and as Lena's only blood relatives they were her new guardians. He wasn't going to be ecstatic, but what else could they do? She folded her hands and put her head on the table. This wasn't supposed to happen. They left because it was going to be safer for everyone. If her cautious brother couldn't keep the Equalist off his scent, she wouldn't stand a chance. Todd had been enough to keep her safe, but the minute the faucet began spurting when Liam cried she knew her husbands invisibility cloak of normality would not always be enough. Now that Lena was here it was only a matter of time, and Elaine honestly was at a loss for what to do.

The phone rang and Elaine composed herself enough to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Laney Lou?"

"John! Thank God! What the fuck is going on" As emotionally conflicting as it was, she was so happy to hear his voice after all this years.

"They found us Laney, Marnie had an incident with Laurel at the bank, by the time they had gotten home it was too late. Lena was at the store at the time, I didn't come home fast enough. It was an elementary mistake, we had an escape plan for this sort of thing I—"

"Johnny you can't blame yourself for this."

"How? You tell me how I am not supposed to blame myself for this?" She could hear the anger and the pain in his voice, there was no reasoning with him in this state and she knew it.

"John I haven't heard your voice in almost 25 years do you really want to fucking fight with me right now?" she said sarcastically

His voice reverted to its prior big brotherly tone "You haven't changed a bit Laney Belle"

"Hmm I like to think I'm a little bit taller than I was when I was 7"

"How is Lena?"

"She's shaken Johnny, really shaken."

"But she made it in one piece"

"Yeah she's here"

"Was she followed?"

"Not that I can make out, she arrived about an hour ago"

"Have you looked at the files"

"Lena Maj, 17, parents dead in car crash, early graduate, I am her only blood relative"

"You've still got it"

"You don't. Johnny come to Toledo. Let us figure this out together"

"You know I can't do that Laney Belle. Look, take care of Lena. She can help you with Liam she's finished her training. If things get rough call the Order"

"Are you serious? You hate the Order"

"I trust the Order a hell of a lot more than I trust the Police. In a pinch they could help you. I know it's going to be difficult but lay as low as you can. And if things go wrong take your kids and get out."

"I remember Johnny"

"I'm sorry Laney, I didn't want this life for you"

"That was never your decision John"

"I'll call when I can with any updates"

"No you won't" She could tell he was smirking on the other line

"Keep her safe Elaine" His tone converted again, this time to business.

"You know I will Johnny"

The line went dead. That was the only contact he had made in the 5 months Lena had been with her. Elaine didn't know what to make of it. Hopefully he was so deep undercover that risking it to call them was out of the question. Believing anything else was too painful. She held Tara a little bit tighter and watched Lena and Liam playing in the other room. These past few months had been a blessing; Lena had been there to curb every snowball Liam threw at them, literally. No one questioned Lena's entrance into the family, and as best she knew the Equalists were oblivious to their existence. At least, the Order told her they were safe. Johnny never trusted the Order of the White Lotus, but immediately after his phone call she knew she had no choice but to contact them. The society that stood for peace and coexistence had never been John's cup of tea. He was all for the protection of benders, but he wanted change—he wanted to face the Equalist head on. It was a reckless idea that he luckily abandoned when Lena was born, at least that's when he had told Elaine. He was always talking about how the Order wasn't doing anything to fix the real problem and thus they were perpetuating the Equalist persecution—Elaine wasn't so ignorant as to believe him when he told her he was done with all his vigilante justice. Honestly Elaine didn't give two shits about the perpetuation of the problem—what happened Laurel and Marnie was terrifying. She had always known that Johnny was leading a dangerous lifestyle but at the end of the day she couldn't imagine that they would ever actually be caught. She just wanted her kids to be safe. Johnny would probably be pissed, but he hadn't called in months. No one was going to take her family away from her.


	3. Chapter 3: Crash And Burn

**Dear everyone; It has been brought to my attention that I should clarify some things about my story: 1. Lena and Laney are the same person, Liam calls her "Laney" because its easier to say. 2. I realize that that was made even more confusing with Elaine also being called "Laney" by John, it was all in effort to get a nostalgic/family-love sort of tone. 3. They are water benders, which becomes more explicitly outlined in this chapter. 4. Grammar and spelling-I'm a human being and the only person who proofs these so please excuse my human mistakes. That all being said please enjoy chapter 3 and let me know what you think =]**

* * *

Chapter 3

Lena lay on the couch lazily watching television, her hand softly pushing Tara's bouncy seat willing the alert 3 month old to go to sleep. It was 5 minutes to midnight on a Friday; Elaine had left her in charge of the kids while she attended an in-law's wedding with Todd. She never brought the kids places anymore, there were too many variables; even with Lena in tow they weren't totally safe.

The girl on the television, some reality TV starlet, was discussing whether or not to dump her partying leech of a boyfriend, but Lena wasn't paying attention—keeping her eyes open was a full time occupation. She leaned to look at Tara who gave her a big smile, showing no signs of sleepiness. She sighed,

"Tara," she pleaded, "Sleep baby girl!"

She rolled face down on the couch, and let out an exhausted sigh. Even from the den she could hear Liam snoring. Surprisingly getting him to go to sleep had been relatively easy tonight. The girl on the television was spitting some dribble about her clothing line and her relationship when Lena heard the first knock. Suspecting that she might have dreamed it, she muted the TV and waited to hear it again.

THUD.

This time it sounded a little louder. She picked up Tara and walked into the kitchen, turning on the faucet just in case.

THUD.

A shiver ran down her spine. It had been 5 months since she wandered with this level of caution. Last time it didn't work out so well.

THUD.

She could see the front door shake. She tried to think. _Maybe is a sales person? No its midnight. Shit, I need to get Liam._ She gauged the distance between her own position and Liam's room. The front door stood between them, it's window allowing anyone at the door the ability to see her dash by should she try.

THUD. THUD.

She bit her lip and held Tara tighter to her chest. There was definitely someone there, and they were hold something against the window. She couldn't quite make out what it was.

"Gellar Family, this is the Order of the White Lotus," a voice calmly stated. "Please respond or we will enter the house with force,"

Lena dashed back to the den and placed Tara in her bouncy seat. She shoved the seat behind the couch and draped a blanket over it. It was a pathetic attempt at hiding Tara, but she couldn't very well hold the baby and fight off who ever these Order people were.

"Gellar Family. We are entering the house now"

Lena walked back through the kitchen, bending the faucet water around her arms creating two whips. She returned to her spot in the doorway in time to watch the doorknob turn. In walked two figures, both obviously male. Her stomach churned, and she wondered if this was how her mother felt when she and Marnie were attacked. One of the men cautiously stepped forward and looked around. It was dark and he didn't see Lena. He looked down to the hallway towards Liam's room stepped forward to investigate. Lena extended one of her whips around his foot and pulled him back, tripping him in the process.

"WHAT THE—"

She froze his leg to the ground anchoring him and then moved forward, quickly manipulating her other arm to slap the other man against the wall and hold him there.

"Who are you?" She said sternly to the man against the wall.

"What? We're from the Order. Who are you?" He couldn't have been more than a few years older than she was.

She didn't have a chance to answer before the intruder she had frozen to the ground started… melting? She watched in shock as the ice evaporated into steam and the man got up.

"We aren't here to hurt you," He said as he got up.

Lena manipulated her whip again, aiming for below the knee but the man deflected her attack with fire.

"I said we aren't here to hurt you!" He said, clearly miffed by her attacks.

"Seriously" said the boy against the wall. She whipped her head around to face him, tightening her grip. He threw up his hands.

"White flag! We come in peace! What more do we have to say to you to get it through that pretty little head of yours?" She tightened her grip again, but then released lowering the whips to her sides but not letting them fall away completely.

"Now we are getting somewhere, which is good because we really don't have much time" said the man who melted the ice.

"How did you do that?" She asked

"Do what?"

"The melting... thing"

He smiled, "Girl, you didn't think you were the only one did you?"

She just stared at him.

"We are like you," said the boy

"Only I prefer fire to water," said the man, "can't really help it, its nothing personal" He extended his hand. "I'm Bruce Harris, and this is my brother Gus"

"Augustus Harris" said the boy, also extending his hand.

"And you are?"

"Lena" she responded, cautiously. She didn't take either hand-did they really expect her too?

"It's nice to meet you Lena. We don't have much time. We were sent here to retrieve the young benders in this house. They are coming"

Lena could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins. No. This was not supposed to happen. Not here. Not to Elaine's family.

"They aren't all here. My Aunt and Uncle, they're not here"

"Are they benders?"

"What? No but the kids are theirs"

"They aren't top priority," said Gus

"Not top priority?" She yelled suddenly overwhelmed by anger. Had her mother not been "top priority" because she wasn't a bender? Who did this guy think he was?

"Excuse my brother, he's a little too mission oriented," said Bruce, shooting a disapproving glare at Gus.

"Bruce we need to go now. They're closing in on us and every second we spend debating this with her is a second lost"

"Laney?" Liam wobbled in, still clearly sleepy. Great.

"Did we wake you up bud?"

He nodded yes and she let her whips fall and picked him up. He laid his head on her shoulder.

"How do I know you aren't Equalists?" she asked.

"Don't you think we would have attacked you by now if we were" mocked Gus. She really did not like that kid. His brother shot him another disapproving look. Lena was beginning to think that Gus got a lot of disapproving looks.

"Here" Bruce dug in his pocket and pulled out a white lotus Pai Sho tile.

"So you play Pai Sho and thus I should trust you?" Lena asked.

Gus let out an obnoxious sigh

CRASH!

The windows in the den exploded sending shards of glass everywhere. _Tara_.

"God dammit!" yelled Gus as he moved towards the explosion, two daggers of fire jetting out from his hands.

"You two get out!" yelled Bruce following Gus. There was another crash and the sound of toppling furniture. _Oh God Tara._

"Wait!" Lena frantically threw open the door of the nearest closet and set Liam inside. "Stay in here buddy until I come and get you. Don't make a sound, do you understand?" He nodded, his eyes alive with fear. She kissed the top of his head and whispered "I love you."

Lena ran, pushing past Gus and Bruce, into the Den. There stood a man and a woman, faces masked both holding electric batons. The man ran towards her, baton first and she quickly dodged his advance. Throwing her arms above her head she crushed him with a wave of the water that had been accumulating in the sink, knocking him unconscious. Peripherally she could see the woman was coming at her from the left, when Bruce shot a blast of fire knocking her against the wall. Lena dove to the other side of the den, ripping the blanket away from Tara. She was unharmed; in fact she was actually sleeping.

"GO!" yelled Bruce locked in combat with the Equalist woman. She pressed Tara to her chest and ran as fast as she could back to the closet passing Gus on the way.

"GET OUT NOW!" yelled Bruce, this time to Gus. "GO NOW!"

Gus reluctantly turned to Lena who now had the baby in a car seat and the Toddler attached to her leg. He turned back to his brother who was obviously in need of assistance.

"Bruce..."

"GO!"

The woman sent a vase hurtling towards Bruce's head. He dodged it and it crashed against the wall causing Liam to scream. Gus nodded to his head and moved towards Lena. He grabbed Liam and the two of them made a run for it.

Outside there was a black SUV. Liam threw open the door and buckled Liam inside while Lena fiddled with securing Tara's car seat.

"You can do that on the way" Gus said urgently as he pushed Lena into the back of the car and ran to the driver's seat.

And then they were gone; the scene suddenly was all too familiar. Lena and Liam looked out back window of the car at their house crippled by broken windows and flames until the car swiftly turned and the house was out of sight. Lena finally had Tara's car seat secured and she turned to check on Liam.

"Shhh buddy its okay. We're safe now" She told him, his face in her hands as she wiped away his tears. She almost meant what she said.


End file.
